HELP fish dying!!!

**sammy2012** · 11-02-2012, 08:57 PM

i have a fluval roma 125 and it came with a fluval u3 filter it says its for 90 - 150 litre tanks and i have a air stone in the tank... i treeted the tap water before i put it in the tank the fish were fine for 2 days and it happend over last night because when i turned the light on today they was all up the top of the tank and just under half the tank were dead

**Cermet** · 11-02-2012, 09:11 PM

If the filter is new, then ammonia (fish waste) will rise rapidly and kill the fish. You need to do large daily water changes (75% or more) until the levels get and stay below 0.25 ppm ammonia. Then what level amount keeps the level at or below those numbers for 24 hours. The filter can take three to six weeks to cycle.

**butterbean** · 11-02-2012, 10:00 PM

Put the sponges from your old filter in the new filter even if they don't fit (different kind of filter) they will put some good bacteria in your tank.

**ijankrom** · 11-02-2012, 10:10 PM

I would think just placing the filter media from other tank in new tank would help. Give it a couple weeks and I think you would accumulate enough BB in other areas to remove the old filter media. Water conditions can change very rapidly, even in larger tanks (though much quicker in smaller one), so never assume all is good on a water test completed more than 24 hours earlier. At least IMO I wouldn't trust it. When ever I'm looking at getting a new fish I check the water conditions just before I go to the store, even if my tank is mature and all has been fine for months.

**Goes to 11!** · 11-02-2012, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by butterbean

Put the sponges from your old filter in the new filter even if they don't fit (different kind of filter) they will put some good bacteria in your tank.

Yep, But this will only be beneficial if those sponges/media were never dried out and did not go more than a day or two between tanks. Any longer and the BB would have starved to death with no ammonia source.

When you rinsed your gravel with hot water did you dechlor that water/gravel before you added it to the tank? If not the Chloramines from the tap water could have killed your BB colony.

**butterbean** · 11-02-2012, 11:23 PM

Do you know anyone that had an established tank you could trade a sponge with? Just a thought that's how I use to start my new tanks it would not cure it right away but with water changes it would sure help...

**A&W_Fish** · 11-03-2012, 04:30 AM

Shocking to see that many die just over-night from Ammonia alone. I"m not so sure there...

It would not be the first time I've see an X-partner, or mischevious child poison an aquarium for either kicks or to get back at someone. Any chance this could have been the case? If so, do a full water change immediately.

**fishmommie** · 11-04-2012, 03:02 AM

i agree with all who have said your fish are dying from ammonia poisoning. the only way you could have moved those fish over and not lost the cycle and avoided this is if you moved all the sponges and filter media with them and put them in the new filters. moving the water did nothing as your beneficial bacteria lives in the media.
and the only way those sponges and other filter media are going to be of any help to you now is if they remained wet and you moved with within 24 hours or so -- otherwise, so sorry, but you're starting from scratch.
To save the remaining fish, you're going to have to test your water daily with an API liquid test kit and do 50% water changes whenever the ammonia and or nitrites approach .50 you need to do an immediate W/C.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=36492

good luck and so sorry you didn't come here before you moved the fish.